How Executive Coaching is Different
from Consulting, Mentoring, and Counseling

COACHING CONSULTING MENTORING COUNSELING
Deals mostly with a person's present and seeks to guide them into a more desirable future. Deals mostly with problems and seeks to provide information to solve them. Deals mostly with succession training and seeks to help someone do what you do. Deals mostly with a person's past and pain, and seeks healing.
Co-creative, equal partnership.
Coach helps client discover their own answers.		 Expert-person with problem relationship.
Consultant has the answers.		 Older/wiser-younger/less experienced relationship.
Mentor has the answers.		 Doctor-patient relationship.
Therapist has the answers.
Assumes emotions are natural and normalizes them. Does not normally address or deal with emotions (informational only). Limited to emotional response of the mentoring parameters (succession, etc.). Assumes many emotions are a symptom of something wrong.
The coach stands with you, and helps you identify the challenges, then works with you to turn challenges into victories and holds you accountable to reach your desired goals. The consultant stands back, evaluates a situation, then tells you the problem and how to fix it. The mentor allows you to observe his/her behavior and expertise, and provides guidance and wisdom so you can do what they did. The therapist diagnoses, then provides professional expertise and guidelines to give counselee a path to healing.